Congratulations! You made it! You survived and excelled in your student teaching. You are now a science teacher! If you would, take a few minutes to share your wisdom about how to negotiate this difficult year with the students who are following in your footsteps by answering the following questions.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
1. Get a routine set up for getting up, being prepared, getting meals ready, exercising! and even planning in free time to catch up on work or on things you neglect for yourself. Even in the school having a set routine ready (days to stay after, when is the best time for you to be able to get work done ect.) can help you transition into the patteren for your teaching. If you already know that its easiest for you to make a big meal sunday to have leftover for lunches all week, you can set it up to have it in the fridge packaged so all you have to do each morning is grab the next tupperware container all week long. Getting exercise in can be hard but fitting in 20 min a day (even if it is just to walk to hill to the night class!) then do it because being physically fit helps you handle things mentally too! Planning in the spare time gives you wiggle room if something doesn't go as planned or on the off chance everything goes perfect to enjoy some free time!
2. Tap your resources! If you know current teachers, or past teachers start talking to them now and keeping them up to date on how you are doing. When you feel stuck or have a problem you don't know how to handle, give these resources a call! Most of these people in and out of the school want to help you out! Meet and greet the teachers you will not only work with in a team or hallway setting, but also the ones you meet in the office or lounge! They are not out to get you and they know what it is like to teach.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
I am not sure this assignment was great for my student teaching in particular but it is the one I found to overall help me. The teaching rationale made me think, about teaching and why I am doing it. By keeping this in mind while I was observing, aiding, teaching, and ultimately as I am applying for jobs I have a sense that I am doing the right thing for me. Selfish sounding but in knowing I am doing the right thing I have the confidence to feel I am doing a the best job I can with my students and fellow teachers. This idea of why I was teaching got me through some rough spots all semester teaching and learning. I feel it will also help me as I go out on interviews and job hunts too. While not as practacle sounding as 'do your unit plan!' I felt this helped me more. The lesson plan, while on a topic I was going to teach, went almost complately out the window after I had been teaching a few days! You never know what is going to happen but knowing why you are doing something can keep you going on and on.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have done a better job during student teaching if I had ...."
been more experienced handling such a large group of students at once on my own. I have worked with students and learners before but always in smaller groups or with other people. The management of such a large group can be frustrating but keeping your cool works well and knowing as many strategies as possible helps too. When one way failed I moved on to the next and kept on trying. Sometimes you need to have patience and stick to your guns! If you say you are going to give them a detention, or pop quiz if they continue bad behavior be prepared to really do it! If you don't you will end up in a hole you can't get out of. While I don't feel I had a hard time as a whole, there are a few students I really wish I could have reached better, and managed better than I have. While what I did worked I also feel that it didn't really get through to them.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
Plan ahead! This way you have the next assignment/activity ready to go if you have extra time. If it takes you too long you can always skip somehting or add it in to another day but you always need extra material ready. I usually had at least one week planned, coppied, and materials organized so I could litterally walk along the desk and pick up the next thing to do. Having small assingments for anytime helps too! Little games/activities/ even bonus point assignments make for great fillers. I never felt overwhelmed when I got through a lesson too quick simeply because I knew I had something else I could pull out (to the students dismay usually!). While planning ahead does not protect you from everything it certailny helps you feel more relaxed and less stressed as the days go by.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
1. Get a routine set up for getting up, being prepared, getting meals ready, exercising! and even planning in free time to catch up on work or on things you neglect for yourself. Even in the school having a set routine ready (days to stay after, when is the best time for you to be able to get work done ect.) can help you transition into the patteren for your teaching. If you already know that its easiest for you to make a big meal sunday to have leftover for lunches all week, you can set it up to have it in the fridge packaged so all you have to do each morning is grab the next tupperware container all week long. Getting exercise in can be hard but fitting in 20 min a day (even if it is just to walk to hill to the night class!) then do it because being physically fit helps you handle things mentally too! Planning in the spare time gives you wiggle room if something doesn't go as planned or on the off chance everything goes perfect to enjoy some free time!
2. Tap your resources! If you know current teachers, or past teachers start talking to them now and keeping them up to date on how you are doing. When you feel stuck or have a problem you don't know how to handle, give these resources a call! Most of these people in and out of the school want to help you out! Meet and greet the teachers you will not only work with in a team or hallway setting, but also the ones you meet in the office or lounge! They are not out to get you and they know what it is like to teach.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
I am not sure this assignment was great for my student teaching in particular but it is the one I found to overall help me. The teaching rationale made me think, about teaching and why I am doing it. By keeping this in mind while I was observing, aiding, teaching, and ultimately as I am applying for jobs I have a sense that I am doing the right thing for me. Selfish sounding but in knowing I am doing the right thing I have the confidence to feel I am doing a the best job I can with my students and fellow teachers. This idea of why I was teaching got me through some rough spots all semester teaching and learning. I feel it will also help me as I go out on interviews and job hunts too. While not as practacle sounding as 'do your unit plan!' I felt this helped me more. The lesson plan, while on a topic I was going to teach, went almost complately out the window after I had been teaching a few days! You never know what is going to happen but knowing why you are doing something can keep you going on and on.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have done a better job during student teaching if I had ...."
been more experienced handling such a large group of students at once on my own. I have worked with students and learners before but always in smaller groups or with other people. The management of such a large group can be frustrating but keeping your cool works well and knowing as many strategies as possible helps too. When one way failed I moved on to the next and kept on trying. Sometimes you need to have patience and stick to your guns! If you say you are going to give them a detention, or pop quiz if they continue bad behavior be prepared to really do it! If you don't you will end up in a hole you can't get out of. While I don't feel I had a hard time as a whole, there are a few students I really wish I could have reached better, and managed better than I have. While what I did worked I also feel that it didn't really get through to them.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
Plan ahead! This way you have the next assignment/activity ready to go if you have extra time. If it takes you too long you can always skip somehting or add it in to another day but you always need extra material ready. I usually had at least one week planned, coppied, and materials organized so I could litterally walk along the desk and pick up the next thing to do. Having small assingments for anytime helps too! Little games/activities/ even bonus point assignments make for great fillers. I never felt overwhelmed when I got through a lesson too quick simeply because I knew I had something else I could pull out (to the students dismay usually!). While planning ahead does not protect you from everything it certailny helps you feel more relaxed and less stressed as the days go by.